NC MPs elect new leader of parliamentary party today
Deuba, Sushil announce candidacy

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, July 21:The election for the leader of the Nepali Congress parliamentary party, who will later assume the post of country’s new Prime Minister, is scheduled for tomorrow (Sunday).

The Nepali Congress has 113 MPs in the House of Representatives who will vote to choose their new leader in the Parliament.

According to the election process and programme published by the election committee today, the election will be held through secret balloting and in case there are more than two candidates the elimination process will be adopted in which voting will be done until a single candidate gets an absolute majority.

The election will be held at the party’s parliamentary party office at Singha Durbar.

Under the programme, the voters’ list will be published at 08:00 tomorrow morning, a period of 08:00 to 08:15 is given for claim and protest on the list and investigation into the claim and protest and the publication of the final list of voters will be made between 08:15 to 08:30 A.M.

The filing of the nomination of candidates will take place from 08:30 to 09:30 A.M., investigation into the nomination paper from 09:30 to 09:45, claim and protest on the candidature from 09:45 to 10:00 and investigation into the claim and protest and the publication of the final list of candidates will be made between 10:00 to 10:15.

One hour – from 10:15 to 11:15 – is given for the withdrawal of candidature and the publication of the final list of candidates will be held between 11:15 to 11:30.

Any candidate needs to be proposed in the nomination paper by an MP member of the NC parliamentary party and seconded by another, and an MP can propose or second only one candidate. The nomination fee has been kept at Rs. 5,000.

Voting for the parliamentary party leader will be held from 3:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. and the counting of votes and the announcement of the result will take place then after.

If no candidate is able to win more than 50 per cent of the total votes in the first-phase of election, election between the two candidates garnering the higher number of votes will be held and, the election committee said, the programme for the re-election would be announced later.

Meanwhile, election seems inevitable despite both the top two leaders of the party – party president Girija Prasad Koirala and party leader Krishna Prasad Bhattarai – calling for consensus.

Those who are almost certain to be in the race, are former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, party General Secretary Sushil Koirala and former deputy Prime Minister Ramchandra Poudel.

Deuba and Sushil Koirala have already announced that they would stand in the election. Poudel is yet to formally announce his candidacy. However, he has said that he takes himself as a middle-of-the-path candidate between the two groups.

Khum Bahadur Khadka, who is said to have about a dozen MP under his wings, has also hinted that he might contest if he stands a chance. However, it is Chakra Prasad Bastola whose name has suddenly come up as a candidate for the election. But neither Khadka nor Bastola has announced candidacy as of writing this report.

Although the tussle between Sushil Koirala and Deuba, whose name has often been taken by Bhattarai as the one who should take the mantle of the government, is widely speculated, party president Girija Prasad Koirala said during the CWC meeting on Friday that he would not throw his weight around any candidate.

CJ stresses need to preserve biodiversity

Biratnagar, July 21 (RSS): Chief Justice Keshav Prasad Upadhyaya inaugurated an interaction programme on "The access of judges to the genetic resources and the distribution of benefits" organised by the Judges’ Society Nepal and the World Conservation Association here today.

Twenty-five judges from Appellate and District Courts are taking part in the 3-day programme.

On the occasion, Chief Justice Upadhyaya said the courts of various countries including Nepal have contributed significantly to environment conservation by defining environmental rights as constituting the right to life after taking into consideration the fact that environment is indispensable for the intellectual, moral, social and spiritual development of mankind.

He said that priority should be given to preserving bio-diversity, that permission should be sought from the concerned country before exploiting genetic resources and that rights of local farmers and communities to the resources they have protected should be recognised as well as protected and their knowledge about such resources should be safeguarded.

He further underlined the need of technology transfer for the developed countries in lieu of the use of the genetic resources lying in the underdeveloped countries and distributing the benefit to the local community in an equitable manner.

Dr. Mahesh Baskota of the World Conservation Association pointed out that the judiciary should remain active towards accessibility of genetic resources and distribution of benefits in the wake of globalisation which poses a threat to bio-diversity and natural resources.

Chairman of the Judges’ Society Harischandra Upadhyaya expressed the determination that the society would effectively implement the national and international laws and conventions for the conservation of bio-diversity, genetic resources and its sustainable development.

Registrar at the Supreme Court Shiv Prasad Pandit said the society is making efforts toward forging a coordinated approach on judicial and environmental issues.

Govt announces policy on senior citizens

Kathmandu, July 21 (RSS): His Majesty’s Government has approved the policy on senior citizens with the objective of tapping their skills, knowledge and experiences in different areas of nation building and ensuring their social and economic development so that they can live a life with full dignity and honour.

According to the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare, the need of preserving the country’s religions and cultures, promoting cordiality and goodwill between the new and old generations and turning the world into a place fit for living for all human beings prompted the formulation of the policy.

With the restoration of democracy, the national responsibility of ensuring better life for elderly persons has increased all the more and it has become indispensable to put into practice our commitment expressed in various international conventions or seminars.

The present Constitution, too, has given special priority to making arrangements for education, health and social security for children, the helpless, women, children, the disabled and the incapacitated.

Elderly persons all over the world account for 6 per cent of the total population, while Nepal has a little over than 5 per cent of elderly persons of over 60 years of age. Experts are of the view that it is not unnatural for the number of elderly persons to increase since the people’s life expectancy has increased remarkably as compared to mortality and reproductive rates.

The new government policy provides for educational and entertaining programmes of the elderly persons and also for their socio-economic progress. Programmes will be worked out to tap the knowledge and skills of the elderly persons, laws will be enacted to ensure their social security, the national pension scheme worked out in order to manage their basic needs, a social security fund set up and such programmes as senior citizens allowances and setting up of the home for the aged managed.

Long-term, short-term and mid-term policies will also be worked out for the implementation of the main policy.

Efforts will also be made to classify the elderly persons on the basis of their economic status and physical strength, local bodies will be required to frame their policies by keeping in mind the helpless and the neglected sections of society and arrangements will be made requiring the local bodies to allocate a certain portion of their budgets for the helpless and the elderly.

Priority will be given to setting up a consultancy center for social security of the old people, laws will be enacted to see to it that their property will not be grabbed by others, provisions will be made requiring sons to allocate a certain portion of the property for livelihood of their parents and the institutions and NGOs working for the sake of the old people will be encouraged.

Procedures for providing senior citizens allowances will be further simplified, priority given to public services, seats reserved for the elderly persons in means of transport and concessions provided to the institutions operating homes for the aged.

Under the new policy, the government will recognize the persons above 65 years of age as old citizens by classifying them into three groups on the basis of their age, economic status, and those who have no economic base and so have to depend on others.

‘BP was a statesman’

Kathmandu, July 21 (RSS): Reports of the 19th B.P. Memorial Day being celebrated amidst a variety of programmes are coming in from different parts of the country.

Bhaktapur: Speaking at a programme organised by the Nepali Congress Bhaktapur district committee on the occasion of the B.P. Memorial Day today, MP Homnath Dahal underlined the need for the party leaders to be united and election of a strong and capable leader to resolve the present state of uncertainty prevailing in the country.

All the leaders need to follow the ideological line expounded by the late great leader B.P. Koirala who always struggled for the country and the people, he stressed.

MP Lekhnath Neupane described the late B.P. Koirala as a noble statesman and said the internal disputes of the party should not be exposed.

Former minister Jagannath Acharya said that the contradictory views expressed by the party leaders on major issues and their differing attitudes were marring the party’s image.

At the memorial meeting chaired by Nepali Congress Bhaktapur district president Radheshyam Jonchhe, Nepali Congress Gulmi district president Rudramani Sharma Bhandari, Janaki Prasad Kuikel, Shankar Gautam, Mahesh Shrestha and others shed light on the contributions of the late B.P. Koirala and spoke of the need for electing a capable person as the party’s Parliamentary Party leader.

Dolkha: The B.P. Chintan Pratisthan district committee, Dolkha organised a colloquium on "B.P.’s vision and the present crisis in the country" at Charikot, Dolkha today.

Speakers at the programme highlighted B.P.’s multi-dimensional personality and stressed the need to follow the path shown by the late B.P. for the resolution of the present crisis in the country.

Janakpurdham: The B.P. Memorial Day was celebrated by organising a blood donation programme in Janakpurdham today.

At the programme organised by NC Dhanusha district committee, 49 NC workers donated blood.

Marking the same occasion, NC district committee, Myagdi organised a colloquium on "B.P.’s multi-dimensional personality" at Beni today.

Baglung: NC Baglung district committee organised a tree planting programme to celebrate the B.P. Memorial Day today.

Some 200 saplings were planted at Baglung Municipality-4 Gaidakot.

Kaski: The NC district committee organised a talk programme on "Parliamentary system, Constitutional Monarchy and B.P. Koirala" to mark the occasion.

At the programme, Prof. Dr Durga Prasad Bhandari said in view of the indispensability of the institution of the Crown in the country, B.P. Koirala was the one who first raised his voice in favour of Constitutional Monarchy.

Fully dedicated as he was to democratic socialism and Parliamentary System, B.P. always gave more importance to work than to his own life, he observed.

Various speakers at the programme chaired by MP Shukra Raj Sharma said the Nepali Congress believes in class coordination not in class struggle.

Marking the same occasion, NC Kaski district committee organised a tree planting programme at Pokhara Sub-Municipal Corporation ward No. 11.

Likewise, Nepal Civil Servants Association, Kaski planted trees on the premises of the district livestock services office today.

Nuwakot: Nepali Congress district working committee, Nuwakot held a programme here today to mark the 20th death anniversary of popular leader late B.P. Koirala. A one-minute silence was observed in memory of the late leader.

On the occasion, Chief District Officer Modraj Dotel, DDC chairman, representatives of various political parties, chiefs of district-based offices and local intellectuals planted altogether 170 saplings of various species of trees on the premises of the Nepali Congress district party office.

Nepalgunj: The B.P. Chintan Pratisthan, Banke district unit organised a colloquium around the topic " B.P.’s political thought and present day Nepal" on the occasion of the 20th B.P. Memorial Day today.

Speaking on the occasion, chairman of Banke District Development Committee Omprakash Jung Rana extolled the political ideals of the late leader and said the late B.P. was always committed to promoting democratic ideals in the country, spearheading Nepal’s nationality and the well-being of the people.

Former Mayor of Nepalgunj Municipality Bijaya Kumar Gupta called on all to give up violence and come under the ambit of democracy as the protection of nationality and democracy is possible only within the greater frame of national unity and reconciliation.

Intellectual Narendra Jung Peter described the late B.P. Koirala as a democratic-minded socialist thinker who had unswerving faith in nationality, a revolutionary and a social reformer.

He underlined the need for rising above petty issues like factional politics and politicking for the sake of one group or the other in the present circumstances and suggested formation of an interim government under collective leadership.

Another speaker Prabhakar Mishra underlined the need for practical implementation of the late B.P.’s economic and social policies.

Central vice-president of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) Hemanta Karmacharya said the followers of the late B.P. Koirala were themselves deviating from the ideological guidelines of the late leader.

At the seminar presided over by B.P. Chintan Pratisthan Banke district secretary Divyadev Upreti, Nepali Congress Banke district working committee member Indrajit Tiwari, Nepal Teachers’ Association Banke district president Bishnu Man Shrestha, former president of Nepal Students’ Union Banke district unit Tapta Poudel and member of the Banke district B.P. Chintan Pratisthan Abdul Musalman spoke on the life and personality of the late B.P. Koirala.

On the occasion, saplings were also planted at the local Mangal Prasad Secondary School this morning.

Syangja: The Nepali Congress Syangja district committee carried out afforestation and held a talk programme today on the occasion of the 20th Memorial Day of the late popular leader B.P. Koirala.

Nepali Congress district level leaders and party workers planted 200 saplings of various species on 25 ropanis of land at ward No. 2 of local Thapagaon in Arjunchaupari Village Development Committee.

The land was made available for the B.P. Memorial Park by the local people.

Addressing a talk programme after the sapling plantation function, a host of speakers including Nepali Congress Mahasamiti member Kamal Prasad Pangeni, Mayor of Waling Municipality Bhoj Raj Aryal, Deputy Mayor Dilip Pratap Khand, general convention representative Jaya Prasad Poudel, district committee member Phani Narayan Aryal, Arjun Chaupari VDC chairman Narayan Gurung and Deputy Chairman Dirgha Narayan Aryal shed light on the contributions of the late leader to Nepal’s progress.

FNCCI vice presidents elected

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, July 21: In the internal elections recently, Binod Bahadur Shrestha, Rajendra Kumar Khetan and Chandi Raj Dhakal have been elected first vice president, second vice president and third vice president respectively of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FNCCI).

Likewise, Suraj Vaidhya became victorious in the polls held for the officio-vice president and the chairman of the Employers Council of the FNCCI.

Earlier, the two-day 35th annual general meeting of the FNCCI on July 18 had elected other members of the new executive committee under the leadership of Ravi Bhakta Shrestha.

In the Friday’s elections, Binod Bahadur Shrestha defeated Deewakar Golchha securing 31 votes against Golchha’s 23 to become the FNCCI first vice president.

Rajendra Kumar Khetan was elected second vice president with the 36 votes against 18 of his nearest rival Dr. Gopal Prasad Shrestha.

Among the three candidates on fray for the post of third vice president, Chandi Raj Dhakal (31 votes) pushed back Rohini Thapalia (14 votes) and Krishna Prasad Tamrakar (8 votes).

For the post of officio-vice president and chairman of the Employers Council of the FNCCI, Suraj Vaidhya was elected with 31 votes against 14 of his nearest rival Narendra Kumar Basnyat. Laxmi Bahadur Shrestha crawled behind them with nine votes.

The elections were held as the efforts towards unanimous selection of the vice presidents failed.

The 55 members of the new executive committee were eligible to vote in the Friday’s polls. Of them, President Ravi Bhakta Shrestha did not cast his vote. Immediate past president of FNCCI Pradeep Kumar Shrestha is the officio-member in the new committee. The AGM earlier had elected 53 members including 14 from zones, eight from commodity organisations, 13 from municipality/district chambers, and one each from bi-national chambers, transportation sector and tourism sector.

According to the FNCCI constitution, the president reserves the right to nominate four additional members in the new committee. Three more members are yet to be named in the 62-member body of FNCCI.

Established 36 years ago, FNCCI encompasses 85 district and municipality chambers of commerce and industries spread in 69 districts, 50 commodity/sectoral associations, nine bi-national chambers of commerce and industries, and more than 400 business units as associate members.

Tourist facilities in Tibet increasing

FROM M. RIJAL

Kathmandu, July 21: Nepalese tourism market will witness a spurt, as the Chinese government is going to open a link office for tourism facilitation in Kathmandu soon, informed Zhang Wan Sheng, director of the Tibet Tourism Bureau at a meeting with the team of Gorkhaptra Coproration at his office in Lhasa recently.

This will give a boost to the development of tourism in Nepal since many Chinese tourists will be going to Nepal, said the official in charge of tourism of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. It is good for Nepalese tourism, he quipped.

Tourism development in Tibet is interlinked with Nepal. Almost forty percent of the overseas tourists visiting Tibet enter via Kathmandu. But this year tourist arrival in Tibet via Kathmandu-Lhasa air route may decrease due to big ‘untoward’ events occurring in Nepal, remarked the chief of the tourism in Tibet referring to the Royal Tragedy and a series of strikes and Bandhs called at the instance of political parties during the immediate past. Bookings and reservations have been cancelled hurting the backbone of tourism, he added.

Tourist facilities in Tibet are fast developing. Tibet currently has 42 travel agencies of various types including 21 specialised in serving those from foreign countries and regions, about fifty tourist hotels open to foreigners, fifteen of which are star hotels. There are about 800 travel carsand coaches and about fifty thous and staff waiting to serve visitors. We have ability to receive and serve tourists from everywhere of the world, the chief of the tourism bureau said.

July to October is the peak season for tourists visiting Tibet. This year we expect to receive about seventy thousand tourists, informed the Tibetan official. He talked about the main overseas tourists and informed "Americans and Europeans come in large numbers".

The overseas tourists spend more than a week in average in Tibet. They spend three days in Xigatse, one day in Lhokha and the rest in the Lhasa city, said he. Talking about the overland tour to Tibet from Nepal, he informed "The road from Khasa to Lhasa is good. This holds out big promise." However, some tourists are affected by high plateau sickness. We have effective Tibetan medicines and doctors available to treat the affected, said he. Visitors are also advised about precautionery measures, he added.

Fielding the queries about the slow processing of incoming tourists and stringent checking in the Gongar airport in Lhasa, the Tibetan official told rather in sardonic vein "There is the lack of Oxygen. So everything goes slow in Lhasa." Mr Zhang Wan Sheng informed about two major initiatives being undertaken to develop Tibet which will provide a boost to development of tourism. One is the airlink with Hong Kong being carried out this month. Another is railway connection with Qinghai.

The one thousand kilometres railway, expected to complete in five years, will help to integrate and develop Tibet fully.